Buzzfeed rarely surprises me as pleasantly as they have with this article, compiling some of the finest, and occasionally, cheesiest, French songs of all time.
Pop
[Music] Lucid Fall – Warm Sunshine [루시드 폴 – 햇살은 따뜻해]
This one comes from South Korea, courtesy of my good friend, Max Franosch, who has a taste for music I respect deeply.
Lucid Fall have a sound that remind some chilled-out neo-soul band married to a Dylanesque bossa nova sound. This guy is worth keeping an eye on!
[Music] Christopher Lee – Ghost Riders in the Sky
Absolutely apropos for Halloween.
Before there was “The Most Interesting Man in the World,” or me, for that matter, there was Christopher Lee. He could do everything well – even cowboy songs for Halloween.
[Music] Boris Tihomirov – Elektronnyi Budilnik (Electronic Alarm-Clock)
There’s something incredibly cheesy about this track, but it has the same charm that ‘Popcorn’ did in its heyday. As usual with these artists, there’s nothing I can find in English on Boris Tihomirov. Any information about him, of course, would be wonderful.
[Music] Grupa Marina Škrgatića – Čežnja
Grupa Marina Škrgatića are one of a score of magnificent groups which came out of the former Yugoslavia who produced music of ridiculously high quality. As usual, there’s little information in English about the band, so it’s best to use Chrome or Firefox and see if you can translate this.
[Music] Bettye Lavette – Let Me Down Easy
Killer soul from Bettye Lavette, who is a new name to me.
[Music] Usnija Redžepova – Kazuj krčmo džerimo
The Macedonian Gypsy singer Usnija Redžepova passed away today at the age of 69. I cannot say if she is related to her fellow Gypsy countrywoman, Esma, but when Usnija was young, she looked like Monica Belluci fronting a Roma band. RIP.
[Music] Ferdi Tayfur – Batan Güneş
I wish to thank my Google+ friend and colleague, Mehmet Hanedar, for always providing me with a glimpse into Turkish, Turkic and Central Asia music.
Today’s artist, Ferdi Tayfur, hails from Turkey and was seen as a leading light in Arabesque Music in the 1970s.
[Music] Kate Smith – God Bless America
Kate Smith seems very appropriate today, 14 years after the 9/11 attack.
[Music] Irma Thomas – Time Is On My Side
Though The Rolling Stones‘ version is more famous, this version by Irma Thomas packs quite a whallop!
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music 